Trump Delays Iran Strike After 48-Hour Ultimatum Escalates Crisis

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) ** Cairo** - A dramatic escalation in the ongoing West Asia conflict took a sudden turn on Monday as US President Donald Trump stepped back from his own 48-hour ultimatum to Iran, announcing a five-day delay in threatened strikes on Iranian power infrastructure even as Tehran rejected claims of any ongoing negotiations.

The shift followed a weekend of intense rhetoric, with Trump warning he would“hit and obliterate” Iran’s power plants-“starting with the biggest one first”-if Tehran failed to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil transit route through which nearly 20 percent of global crude supplies pass.

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As the deadline ticked down, Iran signalled defiance rather than retreat.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and senior Iranian officials warned that any attack on Iran’s energy infrastructure would trigger sweeping retaliation across the region, targeting US-linked facilities and allied infrastructure.

“If Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked, then fuel, energy, information technology systems and desalination infrastructure used by America and the Israeli regime in the region will be struck,” said Col. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military command.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued an even starker warning, saying that any such strikes would lead to the“irreversible destruction” of critical energy and oil infrastructure across the region, with long-term consequences for global oil markets.

Despite the hardening positions, Trump on Monday claimed that“positive and constructive talks” had taken place with Iran over the past two days and said strikes would be postponed to allow diplomacy a chance.

However, Iranian officials swiftly dismissed the assertion.

“There are no talks taking place between Tehran and Washington,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry said, describing Trump’s remarks as an attempt to“manage energy prices and buy time” for military planning.

Tasnim News Agency, quoting an unnamed“informed source,” denied any direct or indirect contacts, suggesting the US decision to delay action was driven by concerns over the scale of Iran’s potential response.

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The conflict, now in its fourth week, has already widened beyond Iran’s borders, with strikes reported on nuclear-linked sites in both Iran and Israel, and a reported Iranian attack on a joint UK-US base in the Indian Ocean. Casualties have mounted sharply, with over 1,500 deaths reported in Iran, more than 1,000 in Lebanon, and smaller but significant tolls in Israel and among US forces, alongside widespread displacement.

Trump’s shifting stance has drawn criticism both domestically and internationally, with analysts pointing to contradictions between calls for de-escalation and a continued military buildup in the region, including the deployment of additional US Marines and naval assets.

For a president who came to power vowing to avoid“stupid” wars, the conflict he helped set in motion now risks slipping beyond his control. His administration’s messaging has remained openly contradictory-talking de-escalation while deploying three more amphibious assault ships and roughly 2,500 additional Marines to the region.

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The United States has also struck Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility again, despite Tehran’s explicit warnings against any attacks on its energy infrastructure.

Trump has repeatedly called on China, Japan and NATO to help secure and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but none have responded.

The economic pressure at home is mounting. Gas prices in the United States have risen by 93 cents per gallon, while crude oil prices are up more than 70 percent since the start of the year.

In a striking paradox, the Trump administration has quietly begun easing restrictions on Iranian crude, allowing allies to purchase the very oil that helps fund Tehran-while simultaneously seeking to curb its revenues.

Financial markets reacted sharply to Trump’s latest comments, with Brent crude prices briefly dropping by around 13 percent before stabilising near $101.80 per barrel.

As diplomatic uncertainty deepens and military posturing continues, the gap between Washington’s ultimatums and subsequent recalibrations has emerged as a defining feature of the crisis-raising fresh questions over whether the situation is moving toward de-escalation or a broader regional confrontation.

** US Holding Talks with ‘Respected’ Iran Leader**
Trump said Iran wants“to make a deal”and claims US envoys have been holding talks with a“respected” Iranian leader.
Trump told reporters Monday his Middle East special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner conducted talks Sunday into the evening.
He said talks would continue today.
Trump did not name any official or officials representing Tehran. Trump said the US has not talked to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei.
Trump said if a deal is reached with Iran, the US will move to take Iran’s enriched uranium critical to its disputed nuclear program.

Axios news website quoted a US source as saying that Turkiye, Egypt, and Pakistan have been passing messages between the US and Iran over the past two days.
The foreign ministers of the three countries held separate talks with Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the US source told Axios.

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